Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency | |
---|---|
Abbreviation | TWRA |
Agency overview | |
Formed | 1974 |
Preceding agency |
|
Employees | 600+ |
Annual budget | 85.6 million USD |
Jurisdictional structure | |
Operations jurisdiction | Tennessee, United States |
Legal jurisdiction | State of Tennessee |
Governing body | Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission |
Operational structure | |
Headquarters | Ellington Agricultural Center, Nashville, Tennessee |
Agency executives |
|
Regions | I (Jackson), II (Nashville), III (Crossville) and IV (Morristown) |
Facilities | |
Patrol cars | GMC, Ford and Dodge Light trucks and SUVs |
Boats | Various patrol and utility craft |
Observations | Partenavia P.68 Observer 2 [1] |
Website | |
http://www.tennessee.gov/twra |
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is an independent state agency of the state of Tennessee with the mission of managing the state's fish and wildlife and their habitats, as well as responsibility for all wildlife-related law enforcement activities. The agency also has responsibility for fostering the safe use of the state's waters through a program of law enforcement, education, and access.
The TWRA is engaged in hunter education and training through the Tennessee Hunter Education Program and provides support to the "Archery in the Schools Program" and financial support to safety and competitive shooting programs through the Tennessee Wildlife Federation's Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Program.
Prior to 1949, when the Tennessee Game and Fish Commission was established, wildlife law enforcement efforts were piecemeal and largely left to local sheriffs and police. In the years leading up to its establishment, there was only one wildlife officer in the state, and in all but the most egregious circumstances, laws and hunting seasons were generally ignored. [2] In January 1974, the Game and Fish Commission was reorganized, renaming the governing body as the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission and recommending that the Tennessee General Assembly authorize the creation of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency as the law enforcement body reporting to the Commission and establishing the regional structure that it retains to this day. [3] By the end of the month, legislation had been introduced in the General Assembly to execute these changes. [4]
The TWRA is governed by the 13-member Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission, whose members are citizens appointed by the governor, the speaker of the state house, and the speaker of the state senate.
The state is divided into four administrative regions, each containing two law enforcement districts. Regions are headed by a Law Enforcement Major, as well as fisheries and wildlife program managers. Districts are headed by Law Enforcement Captains Each county in the state is assigned at least one uniformed TWRA officer. [5]
Region 1 is headquartered in offices on Lake Graham outside of Jackson, Tennessee, and covers all of West Tennessee plus four counties along the Tennessee River in Middle Tennessee. It is subdivided into law enforcement districts 11 and 12. [5]
Region 2 is headquartered in offices at the Ellington Agricultural Center in Nashville, Tennessee. It covers most of Middle Tennessee except for the four counties straddling the northern part of the Tennessee River near West Tennessee and the counties along the Cumberland Plateau. It is subdivided into districts 21 and 22. [5]
Region 3 is headquartered in an industrial development north of downtown Crossville, Tennessee. It covers most of the counties in Tennessee along the Cumberland Plateau and in southern East Tennessee. It is subdivided into districts 31 and 32. [5]
Region 4 is headquartered in Morristown, Tennessee in offices located along Cherokee Reservoir. It covers most of the counties of northeastern East Tennessee and is divided into districts 41 and 42. [5]
TWRA law enforcement officers are divided into a rank system similar to that of many law enforcement agencies, adopting the names and insignia of some ranks in the United States military. Majors are placed in charge of law enforcement activities within TWRA regions, assisted by a Lieutenant. Captains are in charge of law enforcement activities within TWRA districts. [5]
Today, TWRA officers are tasked with enforcing state and federal game and non-game wildlife regulations, including hunting, fishing and trapping. The TWRA is also responsible for enforcing all boating laws (such as patrolling for intoxicated boaters, checking for correct boat registration, and enforcement of safety regulations) and maintaining public boat access areas.
Although TWRA officers concentrate on wildlife-related law enforcement and rarely are called to enforce other laws, they carry not only state-level commissions, but commissions granted by the federal government as well, giving them the ability and responsibility to enforce all state, local, and federal codes.
The TWRA maintains a modern forensics laboratory at the University of Tennessee, Martin that includes state of the art DNA analysis equipment.
TWRA officers are often called to provide assistance in search and rescue operations, due to their extensive experience working in woodland environments. TWRA K-9 units are utilized during missing persons situations in rural or wild areas within the state. [6] TWRA officers also are included in Department of Homeland Security training as first responders and anti-terrorism enforcement officials. TWRA officers were sent to the Gulf Coast to provide assistance to local law enforcement and rescue teams in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. [7]
In addition to traditional law enforcement, the TWRA maintains Honor Guard and Chaplain programs. The TWRA Honor Guard takes part in ceremonial services such as presenting the colors and funeral services for active or retired officers. In 2014, the TWRA formed a chaplaincy program to support the spiritual needs of its commissioned law enforcement officers and promote resiliency among those placed in high-stress situations. It is designed as a voluntary, peer-supported program to provide trained chaplains to respond to traumatic incidents and assist in next-of-kin notification. [8]
The TWRA takes an active role in wildlife and fisheries conservation and the reintroduction of wildlife that were driven from an area due to human intervention. Reintroduction programs conducted by the TWRA and its predecessor agencies include for white tailed deer, wild turkey, and elk. The state's first effort to reintroduce the turkey was conducted from 1935 to 1950. During this time period, nearly 6,000 birds were released. This effort was unsuccessful, with none surviving long enough to establish viable flocks. However, after a concentrated effort in the mid 1990s, in 1998 biologists with the agency declared the turkey reintroduction program complete. [2]
Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) are publicly managed protected lands set aside for wildlife conservation and recreation, including camping, hiking, horseback riding, hunting, and fishing. TWRA manages over 1.5 million acres (6,100 km2) spread across 123 WMAs statewide. [9] Some WMAs are co-located with federally managed properties, such as Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area and Cherokee National Forest. [10]
Since 1985, Tennessee has required completion of the Tennessee Hunter Education Program (THEP) as a prerequisite to obtaining a hunting permit in the state for all persons born on or after January 1, 1969. All hunters over the age of 10 are required to be in possession of a Hunter Education certificate while in the field, and those under 10 must be accompanied by an adult of at least 21 years of age who has completed the course and who must remain in a position to take immediate control of the hunting device. [11]
The course is offered free of charge and consists of a minimum of 10 hours of classroom participation, although most courses generally last 12–16 hours. Students are then required to successfully pass a written examination and a live firing exercise. The course contains instruction on ethics, marksmanship, history of hunting and firearms, wildlife management and identification, laws, knowledge of firearms and ammunition, wilderness survival, emergency first aid, etc.
The THEP was established as a formal hunter education program in 1975. According to the TWRA, since its institution hunting and firearm related accidents in Tennessee have declined dramatically. Hunter safety certification via the THEP is recognized by all states, Canada and Mexico. [12]
In 2001, the TWRA partnered with the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the Tennessee Wildlife Federation to institute the Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Program. This program is designed to provide elementary- to college-aged students in Tennessee with opportunities to compete in clay target shooting sports with their peers across the state. These programs are usually organized as school-endorsed athletic programs, however teams are also organized through 4-H clubs, Boy and Girl Scout Troops, or community groups. The program draws over 1,000 youth annually to the state championships. [13]
As part of its public outreach and education efforts, the TWRA publishes Tennessee Wildlife magazine. Published quarterly, the magazine focuses on seasonal content with subjects relating to wildlife management and conservation, hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation. Agency personnel author numerous articles alongside free-lance pieces submitted by the public. [14]
National Wildlife RefugeSystem (NWRS) is a system of protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), an agency within the Department of the Interior. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife, and plants. Since President Theodore Roosevelt designated Florida's Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge as the first wildlife refuge in 1903, the system has grown to over 568 national wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management districts encompassing about 856,000,000 acres (3,464,109 km2).
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The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) is the State of Nebraska's State agency charged with stewardship of the state's fish, wildlife, state park, and outdoor recreation resources. The agency is led by a governor-appointed member commission consisting of 9 commissioners which directs agency management. The commission is also charged with issuing of state hunting licenses, fishing licenses, and boat registrations. The agency also manages State Parks and recreation areas throughout the state. It conducts public education programs for hunting and boating safety. The agency is headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Catoosa Wildlife Management Area is a large game-management area on the Upper Cumberland Plateau in Morgan, Cumberland and Fentress counties in Tennessee in the United States. It comprises 96,000 acres (332 km2) of wild land administered by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA). The Management Area is funded by hunters and fishermen, and is popular with all outdoors enthusiasts, including backpackers, and whitewater rafters. It has many trails for hiking, of which the most notable is the Cumberland Trail. It also has gravel roads and dirt track four-wheel drive roads for motorized exploration. Catoosa ranges from gentle rolling hills to some of the most rugged and extreme terrain in the country. Many rivers and streams have cut deep canyons into the Cumberland Plateau and Cumberland Mountains of the Management area allowing for beautiful vistas.
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, an agency of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, is responsible for the conservation of wildlife resources and for boating projects in the state. A commissioner appointed by the Fish and Wildlife Commission heads the department. The commission—which oversees the department's commissioner and promulgates regulations governing fishing, hunting, and boating—is a nine-member bipartisan board appointed by the governor from a list of candidates nominated by active hunters and anglers in each of nine geographic districts in the state.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the agency of the state of Michigan founded in 1921, charged with maintaining natural resources such as state parks, state forests, and recreation areas. It is governed by a director appointed by the Governor and accepted by the Natural Resources Commission. Since 2023, the Director is Scott Bowen. The DNR has about 1,400 permanent employees, and over 1,600 seasonal employees.
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The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) is the state agency responsible for the conservation and management of Alabama's natural resources including state parks, state lands, wildlife and aquatic resources. ADCNR also issues hunting and fishing licenses for the state. The department promotes wise stewardship and enjoyment of the state's natural resources through five divisions: Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. Supporting those divisions are seven support sections: Accounting, Diversity and Recruiting, Engineering, Information and Education, Information Technology, Legal, and Personnel and Payroll.
The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) is an agency of the government of the U.S. state of West Virginia. While formerly known as the cabinet-level Department of Natural Resources, it is now part of the West Virginia Department of Commerce. The WVDNR is responsible for wildlife management, hunting and fishing regulations, and boater safety and also oversees state parks and resorts. It also operates the West Virginia State Wildlife Center, a zoo in French Creek that exhibits West Virginian wildlife.
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP), formerly known as the Mississippi Game & Fish Commission, is an agency of the government of the U.S. state of Mississippi responsible for programs protecting Mississippi fish and wildlife resources and their habitats, as well as administering all state parks; it has its headquarters in Jackson.
The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) is a government agency in the executive branch state of Montana in the United States with responsibility for protecting sustainable fish, wildlife, and state-owned park resources in Montana for the purpose of providing recreational activities. The agency engages in law enforcement activities to enforce laws and regulations regarding fish, wildlife, and state parks, and encourages safe recreational use of these resources.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement contributes to Service efforts to manage ecosystems, save endangered species, conserve migratory birds, preserve wildlife habitat, restore fisheries, combat invasive species, and promote international wildlife conservation. It is an office of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).
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The South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks (GFP) is the U.S. State of South Dakota's state agency charged with the management of the state's public recreational and outdoor resources. The GFP manages the 13 state parks and 43 state recreation areas within the state parks system, totaling over 96,000 acres of public lands. The agency manages the hunting of game and the state's fisheries, manages several wildlife management areas and game production areas to restore or establish habitat for a variety of species. The agency conducts public outdoor education programs, typically focusing on hunting and boating safety. The department issues hunting and fishing licenses along with issuance of boat registrations. The agency is also charged with enforcement of fish and game laws, including invasive species regulations. The agency is headquartered in Pierre, South Dakota.
Lake Graham is a reservoir in Madison County, Tennessee 5 miles (8.0 km) west of the city of Jackson. It is primarily a recreational lake that also provides wetlands habitat to local wildlife and migratory birds. The lake is owned and managed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA). The TWRA Region One offices are located at the lake, and it is the largest lake managed by the Agency. The lake is impounded by a 51 foot (16 m) high earthen dam with an uncontrolled spillway.